Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Although he had little formal education, Carnegie grew up in a family that believed in the importance of books and learning.
At
the age of 13, in 1848, Carnegie came to the United States with his
family. They settled in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and Carnegie went to
work in a factory, earning $1.20 a week.
He
then took a job at the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1853. He worked as the
assistant and telegrapher to Thomas Scott, one of the railroad's top
officials. Through this experience, he learned about the railroad
industry and about business in general. Three years later, Carnegie was
promoted to superintendent.
While
working for the railroad, Carnegie began making investments. He made
many wise choices and found that his investments, especially those in
oil, brought in substantial returns. He left the railroad in 1865 to
focus on his other business interests, including the Keystone Bridge
Company.
Over the next decade, most of Carnegie's time was dedicated to the steel
industry. His business, which became known as the Carnegie Steel
Company, revolutionized steel production in the United States. He
built plants around the country, using technology and methods that ultimately made
manufacturing steel easier, faster and more productive. For every step
of the steel making process, Carnegie owned exactly what was needed: from the raw materials,
to the ships and railroads for transporting the goods, and even coal fields to
fuel the steel furnaces.
By the year 1889, Carnegie Steel Company was the largest of its kind in the world.
Many felt that Carnegie's success came at the expense of his workers. One instance that many felt that Carnegie was becoming irresponsible was when the company tried to lower wages at a Carnegie Steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The employees refused to work, starting what has been called the Homestead Strike of 1892. The conflict between the workers and local managers eventually turned violent after the managers called in guards to break up the union.
In 1901, Carnegie sold his business to the United States Steel Corporation, started by legendary financier J.P. Morgan.
With Carnegie growing older, he decided to spend the rest of his days helping others. While his philanthropy work started years prior, it was during this time that he expanded his efforts of helping others.
Carnegie's 1889 article "Wealth" outlined his view that individuals with great wealth must be socially responsible and use their assets to help others. This article was later published in 1900 as the book The Gospel of Wealth.